lentz



No, 626,546. Patented lune 6, I899.

H, LENTZ.

ENGINE GOVERNOR.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1898.) (No Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 626,546. Patented lune 6, I899. H. LENTZ.

ENGINE vGI'IVERNOR.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut 2.

ha /22%)," 2590 I 2222;

(Application filed Sept. 1 0, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 {No Model.)

WWII!" Ill 1Hllllillliilllllllllllllllllllll ZZUZZZUI .27 0 Z ni z NTlE STATES nueo LENTZ, or BRUNN, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

ENGINE-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,546, dated June 6, 1899.

Application filed September 10, 1898. Serial No. 690,661. (No model.)

To ml! w/tmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO LENTZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germ any, resid i ug at Briinn, in the Province of Mz'thren, Austria-Tinngary, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Engine'Governors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of governors for steam and other engines for regulating automatically the opening and closure of the valves to admit the supplyot power in accordance with variation in the load.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates my improved governor by a view in sectional elevation, the section being taken at the line 1 on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrow and showing the relative positions of the parts for producing full valve-opening. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the relative positions of the parts for producing the ininimn n1 valve-opening; Fig. 3, a View like that presented by Fig. 1, but partly broken and with the eccentric removed; Fig. 4, a similar View, but with the parts occupying the relative positions in which they are shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a view of the side of the governor opposite that displayed in the preceding figures, and Fig. 6 an enlarged section taken at the line 6 on Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

A is the engine-shaft, carrying a housing B or bearing for the other parts of the governor. This housing may be and is preferably, though not necessarily, the fly-wheel of the engine. In the housing, at one side of its web '6, is seated on the hub r, to rotate independently thereof, a head 0, shown in its preferred form of a wheel, confined in place against lateral displacement by a collar q, fastened to the hub, as by bolts q. Bolts 1) and p or pins pass through the hub of the wheel C at diametrically opposite points and respectively through elongated curved slots 19 p in the web of the housing B, beyond which each bolt has fastened to it the inner end of a coiled spring, such as is used for a clock. These springs are denoted as D and D in the drawings and are fastened at their outer ends to the web of the housing, as shown at o o.

F and F are pendulum-like levers suspended from diametrically opposite points in the rim of the housing, as by connection there with links 0 o, pivoted on studs 0' 0. The levers F and F are formed toward their free ends with arc-shaped enlargements or heads F F to conform to and embrace the hub of the wheel 0 at a circumferential recess 12 in the hub, across which extend the bolts 1) p. The head portions F are pivotally fastened at corresponding ends to the bolts 111), to connect the wheel at diametrically opposite points with the levers. The means of con nection between the wheel 0 and a valve (not shown) to be regulated is shown in its preferred form of an eccentric G, fulcrumed upon the hub r of the housing atfand having its strap on provided with the radially-extending rod m for connection with the aforesaid Valve. The eccentric is further engaged between its fulcrum and periphery with the wheel 0 at its hub portion by a stud Z, passing through the eccentric and into the Wheel-hub. The rotary action of the wheel 0 is thus transmitted to the eccentric, and the wheel is under the control of the centrifugal action of the lovers F F, supplemented by the recoil force of the springs D D, in the normal con dition of which they hold the wheel 0 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, wherein the arc-shaped heads of the levers embrace the hub of the wheel and the throw of the eccentric is greatest to produce, accordingly, the greatest extent of valve-opening. \Vhen the engine is started, the centrifugal force thereby generated throws out the heads of the levers, thereby overcoming the resistance of the springs and by the connection of the levers with the wheel and of the wheel with the eccentric turning the latter toward the position in which it is represented in Fig. 2, thus near the center of rotation of the shaft A. The last-named position of the eccentric is that at which its throw and the extent of valve-opening are the least, and the valveregulation takes place between the two eX- treme positions of the eccentric shown, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2, so that according to the load on the engine the central point of the eccentric will be somewhere between these extremes. lVith increase of the load on the engine the speed of the housing B or fly-wheel decreases, while the inertia of the wheel 0 tends to keep up its speed to cause it to turn ahead of the housing. Then since the centrifugal force is reduced by the slower rotation of the housing the springs D D, tensioned by the throw of the levers F F, draw the bolts pp and levers inward, thereby reinforcing'the wheel in the direction of its rotation. WVithidecrease of the load on the engine the speed of the housing B or fly-wheel increases, while the inertia of the wheel '0 tends to maintain its speed and by the resultant drag turn the eccentric toward its position of lesser throw to decrease accordingly the supply of driving power, and the increase in centrifugal force by the increased speed of the housing throws out the lever-heads F to supplement the'drag of the wheel for prod ucing the described effect on the eccentric. Thus, as will be seen, the automatic adjustment of the valve, through the medium of the eccentric, is produced by two forces, one supplementing the other-namely, the inertia of the wheel 0 and the centrifugal force of the levers. Moreover, the resistance in the valve mechanism to the eccentric is practically counteracted entirely by the inertia of the wheel or head 0 in the manner that it is commonly overcome by the fly-wheel of an engine.

The described operation presu pposes the rotation of the fly-wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow near the periphery of the housing. Y

While the construction of my improved governor'hereinbefore set forth is the best known to me for accomplishing the purpose, it may be Varied in matters of detail without depar ture from my invention. Hence I do not limit the construction to the particular details and combinations of parts shown and described.

It may be suggested that by so applying the springs D and D to the housing Bas to cause them to extend oppositely of the showing in Fig. 5 of the drawingsthat is, with the spring D curving toward the left from its fasteningpoint 1; and the spring D toward the right from its fastening-point v-the centrifugal force acting on the springs will assist the levers F F. Thereby the springs will under the action of the centrifugal force expand and pull the bolts 19 p in the directions of spreading of the levers, which may then be made lighter. I employ this arrangement for fast-running engines, and for slow-running engines that shown in the drawings, whereby the spread of the lovers contracts the springs.

Among the advantages afforded by my improved construction of governor the following may be mentioned: The resistance of the valve mechanism (as the slide-valve, stem,

and cross-head) is counteracted by the levers without injuriously affecting the regulating action of the governor, whereby the fluttering incident to continual variation in the resistance is avoided. The aggregate friction of the parts of the governor is taken up by the inertia of the wheel. The engine attains a completely uniform speed, because even with sudden variation in the load immediate regulation takes place, owing to the quick andsensitive responsiveness of the device.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with an engine-shaft, a governor comprising a bearing secured to the shaft to rotate with it, an inertia-head supported on the shaft to rotate independently of the bearing, levers pendulously supported on said bearing and connected with said head, an eccentric connection between said head and the valve mechanism to be regulated, supported to rotate with said .shaft, springs each fastened at one end to said bearing, and bolts immediately connecting said, levers and said springs at their opposite ends with said head.

2. In combination with an engine-shaft, a governor comprising a bearing secured to the shaft to rotate with it, an inertia-head supported on the shaft to rotate independently of the bearing, levers pendulously supported on said bearing and connected with said head, an eccentric connection between said head and the valve mechanism to be regulated, supported to rotate with said shaft, intercoiled clock-springs each fastened at one end to said bearing, and bolts connecting said levers and said springs at their opposite ends with said head.

3. In combination with an engine-shaft, a governor comprising a bearing having a hub at which it is secured to the shaft to rotate with it, an inertia-wheel confined on said hub to rotate independently thereof, levers pendulously supported on said bearing and connected with said wheel, an eccentric connect- .ing medium between said wheel and the valve mechanism to be regulated and supported to rotate with said shaft, springs fastened at one end to said bearing, and bolts immediately connecting said levers and said springs at theiropposite ends with said inertia-wheel. 4. In combination with an engine-shaft, a governor comprising a housing B having a hub r at which it is secured to the shaft to rotate with it, an inertia-wheel O confined on said hub to rotate independently thereof, springs D D connected at one end with said housing, a pair of levers F F pendulously supported on said housing and having heads F embracing and connected with the hub of said wheel, an eccentric G fulcrumed on said housing-hub and forming the connecting medium between said wheel and the valve mechanism to be regulated, and bolts 19 p immediately connecting the opposite ends of said springs and said levers with said wheel.

HUGO LENTZ.

In presence of- THEODOR BRAOEGIRDLE, L. SCHMIDT. 

